Firewalls are the cornerstone of security for communications networks and resources attached to those networks. Network-based firewalls offer advantages over host-based firewalls, especially with respect to providers such as BellSouth that wish to offer such security services to broadband customers. However, firewalls are difficult to configure and traditionally are administered by experts. Network-based firewalls are difficult to customize due to their remoteness from the user because they are typically located in the provider network rather than on the user's computer and users are likely separated from the administrators of these firewalls. Furthermore, where firewall policy is determined for the sake of business operations, that policy is kept as simple as possible in order to better ensure security and to keep change management costs down resulting in firewall policies that tend to be restrictive rather than enabling.
Additionally, consumer firewalls, such as software firewalls installed on PCs that connect to the Internet via broadband (e.g., DSL), are owned and operated by the consumer who is generally not an expert and is ill-equipped to manage the firewall properly, often resulting in considerable user frustration and improper firewall configuration. Furthermore, consumers are paying for the firewall and should be able to determine their policy, and not have firewall policies dictated to them. Thus, firewalls for consumers cannot be overly restrictive just to simplify matters, yet a way must be found to aid the consumer in properly configuring the firewall so that good security is obtained.
Thus, heretofore-unaddressed needs exist for a solution that addresses the aforementioned and other deficiencies and inadequacies.